Despite the killing of Osama bin Laden by U.S. forces this spring, 42 percent of Republican and Republican-leaning South Carolinians polled say they feel President Obama’s administration is less effective than the Bush Administration at combating terrorism.

However, most of them think the country is safer anyway, according to The Winthrop Poll, which was released Tuesday.

About 73 percent of the same demographic said they believed the country’s efforts have made it much more safe or somewhat more safe. Fifty-one percent of the group said the two administrations had been equally effective.

The Winthrop survey also found that of Republicans or those who lean Republican, nearly 75 percent say the term “socialist” describes Obama well or very well, 36 percent say he was definitely or probably born in another country, and nearly 30 percent say they believe Obama is a Muslim.

President Obama has released his long-form birth certificate, which shows he was born in Hawaii, and stated that he is a Christian.

When asked about the GOP presidential hopefuls, the same group favored Texas Gov. Rick Perry over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney 30.5 percent to 27.3 percent.

The Winthrop University poll was taken between September 11-18 and included interviews of 1,552 registered voters from South Carolina. The Republican and Republican-leaning subgroup consisted of 596 registered voters.

The poll is funded by Winthrop University and The West Forum on Politics and Policy at Winthrop University.

Since 2002, South Carolina has received $394 million in federal funding for counterterrorism measures, starting with $15 after the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

The Palmetto State’s annual total started with $15 million and then reached a high at nearly $50 million in 2009, the year after President Obama was elected.

Federal anti-terrorism funding for South Carolina dropped to about $13 million this year, according to U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The funds were for state domestic preparedness, ports and transit security, among other categories. The state of Georgia, which has a population of 9.7 million, about twice the population of South Carolina, has received $456 million in federal counterterrorism funding.